Hancock (2008)

Hancock Review

"Hancock", based on those early trailers, was hailed as the summer's bright shining hope. A film of blockbuster scale and talent ready to challenge the more entrenched franchises. Hail the new name and hail the new hero unshackled from reams of reams of comic book back-story. Well, as it turns out, there are plenty of chinks in the armour - not least the rampant tonal issues and a perverse desire to wrap things up in double quick time when the film's secret hand is dealt.

Will Smith, building on his impervious reputation for sci-fi thanks to "I Am Legend", stars as "Hancock" - the superhuman unwilling to step up to the superhero plate. "Hancock", an LA-based superman, is saving the world whether we like it or not. And most of Los Angeles tends to be erring on the side of 'not' with the high flying, indestructible, Hancock made to be the social pariah - the hero everyone loves to hate. A lot hinges on Smith's performance and, just like "I Am Legend", he doesn't disappoint, using the film's blend of character and fantasy action to great effect with another Big Willy, winning, showcase. But "Hancock" has also inherited some of "I Am Legend's" less lauded traits too.

After inadvertently securing the services of PR guru Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman on fine form), who looks to put the sheen back on to Hancock's public image, the boozy hero, as way of a thank you, gets to meet the family. And upon meeting Ray's wife Mary (a bemused Chalize Theron) things start to get a little messy - and not just for our hero. Based on the story, "Tonight, He Comes" (by Vincent Ngo and picked up by producer Michael Mann), a dark and broody thriller of a superhero stalking a young couple relentlessly, "Hancock" has come a long way from such bleak origins but still feels a little weighed down and intimidated by such rich source material.

When director Peter Berg's film tries to cut loose a little the cracks soon start to appear. The intentions of all concerned are admirable, Berg has crafted a slightly more mature action/adventure. For the first twenty minutes, under the cover of Smith's performance, "Hancock" delivers some of the trailer's early promise, a darker and morally grey creation that flirts with our desire to see a harder-edged hero. But all that early promise is expunged by a heady and bizarre turn of events. Berg tries to up the action ante but forgets to inject any of the care and attention that had gone before. Instead, some heavy-handed displays of direction red-flag the key turning point in the film. Charlize Theron is called upon to deliver the film's winning body blow but just looks embarrassed to be called upon to 'perk up' a film that had already worked up a decent enough head of steam on its own. We soon find ourselves in hero vs. hero bombast territory with some ridiculous set pieces just popping up out of nowhere.

"Hancock's" endemic failing is perhaps that it just gets too lost in ideas. Building from an undeniably strong premise, new writers have come in and diluted "Hancock" down into something more familiar and thus something more flawed.